Fifty First Kisses, Fifty Times 'I Love You'
by NeuroticSeduction
Summary: A collection of romantic oneshots from many different anime by two great authors. Yaoi, rating differs from chapter to chapter. See my profile for a complete description of each chapter. Pairings: NarutoSasuke, SoraRiku Kisses: 6
1. Red Cells and White

**NS: W00t! GO ME! Another fic commences! This one is gonna be AWESOME! ...anyways. This particular chappie is bitter sweet and I will probably cry writing it. The only thing I ask of you is refresh so my hit count goes up and review so I have a reason to keep on living so I can continue to pump out all these fics!! Uhm, italics are song lyrics and .:(insert name here):. is POV, like in all of my stories.**

**NOTE: All the 'rookies' are 18 now in this fic. **

OMG I DON'T OWN NARUTO! ...DUH. :)

_**First Kiss**_**-- Red Cells and White  
Series: Naruto  
Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke  
Rating: T for suggestive themes  
Summary: Three weeks ago, Naruto fell off his roof and was horried to find a bruise that hasn't gone away. He realizes his illness and few people know. The only one who can really help him cope is a certain Sasuke Uchiha. YAOI  
Start Date: 3/20/07  
Finish Date: 3/24/07  
Inspiration: 'Sarah Beth' by Rascal Flatts ...ignore the fact that the actual song is about a girl...**

.:Naruto:.

_Sara Beth is scared to death  
To hear what the doctor will say  
She hasn't been well, since the day that she fell  
And the bruise just won't go away_

I couldn't bare it any longer. The long white hallways. The always smiling nurses whose cheeks never rested, despite the hopeless stares given by patients. Beeping machines constantly counting down the remainder of someone's life. All of this accompanied by the continuous, overbearing stench of anticipants and alcohol completely wore me down whenever I came here. Needless to say, I wasn't around much.

Usually, whenever I did actually enter Konoha Medical Center, nurses and medic-nin poked fun at me and my 'fear' of hospitals. Not today. Today was different. Today was serious. Today, I was scared. There was clearly something wrong with me. Three weeks ago, I fell off my roof while fixing it before the rainy season snuck up on me again. It wasn't really a big deal at all; I'd fallen off of things plenty of times before. But upon further examination, a large purple bruise was forming on my outer thigh where I landed; it was still there. I just knew something was off.

_  
So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad  
And flips through an old magazine_

So there I was, Naruto Uzumaki, hater of all named 'hospital', on a bench in the empty, echoing hallway. As a matter of fact, that was the second time I'd been there in the last week. My elbows rested on my knees, and my forehead between my open palms. I left my headband at home on this day, knowing I would only end up removing it, anyways. A cold sweat found its way steadily down my cheeks and I wiped it away with the sleeve of my black jacket. Why were hospitals always so cold, anyways?

My gaze was drawn a ways down the hall to a little girl a few benches down. She had on a dirty pink dress that looked a few sizes too big and no shoes. In her arms, she clutched a ragged brown teddy bear. Its left eye was missing and had various rips and tears in the seam. The girl had choppy brown hair that fell in tangles to just past her shoulders. Beneath the baggy dress, I could tell that she was thin and probably frail. Sadness reflected in her hazed blue eyes as she stared past everything and everyone around her. I thought perhaps she was deaf or mute, when she looked a nurse straight in the eyes and blinked.

"Am I dying?" she asked in the smallest, emotionless voice I'd ever heard. And she couldn't have been more than six years old. I was now staring fully at her, wide-eyed, unpleasant chills running up my spine. "I know I am. Stop lying to me." Her bear fell to the floor and she didn't try to pick it up. I shook my head and made myself look away, not even wanting to know the story behind that poor girl. A hand was suddenly on my shoulder. I glanced up into the face of a smiling nurse.

_Till the nurse with the smile stands in the door  
And says will you please come with me  
_

"The doctor will see you, now." I blinked a few times and nodded, standing beside the woman. She was actually very pretty with long blond curls falling down her back, but it was fairly obvious by her innocence and the aura about her that she probably didn't have anyone special telling her that.

It seemed that I waited in that small, sanitary room for hours before Dr. Yukura-hoshi stepped through the door, though I knew it had only been thirty minutes or so. Cropped purple hair fell in masses around her face and dark golden eyes stared at me with soft sadness. I suppose working in a hospital could eventually do that to a person. The door clicked closed behind her and she sat in a black, cushioned rolling chair beside where I was seated on the examination table. I turned slightly to face her and the paper beneath me crinkled with my movement. She took a deep breath and began.

"Uzumaki-san," I cringed at the melancholy way my name slipped between her lips. "Drawing a conclusion from both your symptoms and the test results from your last visit, I can tell you that we have indeed found the problem.

My stomach sank to the floor. It was good that they knew what was wrong, but that only confirmed the fact that there was something wrong. I nodded for her to go on. She took another breath and looked me straight in the eye.

"You have leukemia."

_Sara Beth is scared to death  
Cause the doctor just told her the news  
Between the red cells and white, something's not right  
But we're gonna take care of you_

A chill ran up my spine. I blinked twice at her, then took a shuddery breath and held the side of my head. That wasn't what I'd wanted to hear...not at all. My frightened cerulean eyes darted around the room, a strange feeling rushing up my throat. Before I could stop it, my whole body lurched forward and vomit spewed from my mouth and onto Dr. Yukura-hoshi. I covered my face.

"I am... so sorry." The first words I'd spoken since I got to the hospital and it was all I could manage out before the sensation returned. This time, I turned to the right and the bile spilled over onto the floor. The doctor, now out of her vomit-covered jacket, handed me a trash can in case I needed to be sick again.

"It's alright, really. I get reaction from a lot of my cancer patients." There was that word. Cancer. It was malign. It was slander. If she said it again, I would snap. "Uzumaki-san, I want you to realize that there are ways of fighting this. A new method was just developed and approved. A new version of chemotherapy. I want to try it for you. There is a very good chance we can stop the spread of the cancer as it is in a very early stage."

_Six chances in ten, it won't come back again  
With the therapy we're gonna try  
It's just been approved; it's the strongest there is  
And I think that we caught it in time_

I nodded and felt my heavy lids slowly droop closed...

_And Sara Beth closes her eyes  
And she dreams she's dancing  
Around and around without any cares  
And her very first love is holding her close  
And a soft wind is blowing her hair_

A vision came to me. It was in my mind and there I saw myself at the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival. It was only a month away and all my friends were there. A small orchestra was playing somewhere behind us and I swayed gently with someone pulling me ever closer to them. The face was fuzzy and getting clearer...a little more. A slight breeze tossed my hair softly but I still couldn't see the face...

"Uzumaki-san. I want you to come in on this date in two weeks. We'll begin your chemo then." I was shaken from my dream and I reopened my lids, nodding slightly. I rose, still in a haze and staggered out of the building.

* * *

3 Weeks Later

* * *

_Sara Beth is scared to death  
As she sits holding her mom_

Feeling no shame at all, I grasped Iruka as hard as a could, bawling into his vest. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders, comforting me silently. He stroked my back hummed gently near my ear. A sob tore through me and I found that I was clawing at his back. A few quiet tears were slipping down Iruka's face and all I could do was cry and whine and sob into his chest. I kept asking 'Why?' 'Why me?' over and over again through my wails.

_Cause it would be a mistake for someone to take  
A bald headed girl to the prom _

For just this morning, right here on her pillow  
Was the cruelest of any surprise  
And she cried when she gathered it all in her hands  
The proof that she couldn't deny  
And Sara Beth closes her eyes

That morning I woke up with my face in the pillow, buried in something soft. I raised myself up to a sitting position and when I was conscious enough to see, my breathing stopped. Blond locks covered the pillow. My hand rose instinctively and I recoiled instantly...that was my hair on the pillow. It was gone; the chemo took it away. Something wet fell to the back of my hand and it was then that I realized I was crying.

"The...festival. Next week..." I whispered to myself, "I can't go."

* * *

I had a mission. No one but Iruka and Sasuke even knew I had anything wrong me so there was no reason I couldn't do missions. But I really didn't want to go. Before I left, I slipped a black beanie with an orange fox design over my head and wore my hitaiate around my neck. A deep breath filled my lungs while I locked the door and headed to the bridge to wait for Kakashi-sensei just like always.

There was no doubt in my mind that the others had been wondering why I act so...different. I was kinder and paid more attention to the little details since being diagnosed. Now the full realization that I could die had sunk in and I knew that I had a lot of lost time to make up for. All the years of seeking attention around the village and causing trouble everywhere I went. I was also fully aware of the crush Hinata-san had on me. I sent her flowers and chocolate and wrote her a note saying she was a very sweet girl but I didn't want to break her heart, so she should try and find happiness somewhere else. And the last I know of that is she and Kiba went on a date last weekend.

I smiled to myself. Good for her.

I had long-since given up on chasing Sakura around, knowing to leave well enough alone and stay friends--I knew her heart was with Sasuke, whether his was with her on not. Sasuke finding out was sort of an accident. I contemplated telling, him but I wasn't sure if I wanted to or not. However, when I was talking it over with Iruka, Sasuke happened to be around the corner and I was stressing too much to notice him there. I suppose that decision was made for me.

The bridge came into view and I headed up onto it, noting that Sasuke and Sakura were already there. Sasuke eyed my hat, but said nothing. Sakura, however, apparently felt the need to comment.

"Hey, Naruto, what's with that goofy-looking hat?" I cringed and realized I hadn't prepared an excuse.

"It's kind of cold today." That sounded like a good excuse, right? Then I glanced down. Well, shit. I was wearing shorts. So I quickly added, "And don't you think this design is cool? I got it yesterday and wanted to show it off!"

"Liar. You wore that last snow day." My legs stiffened. Why did she remember something like that?!

"Maybe it's none of your business why he's wearing the stupid hat. Why don't you leave him alone, Sakura?"

I blinked. Wow, did Sasuke just stick up for me? Apparently, because Sakura had this oh-my-god-you didn't-just-do-that look on her face. Not one to give up easily, she hopped forward and reached for the beanie. I jerked my head backwards.

"Quit it!" A grin erupted onto her face and she tried again. I avoided her every time and held the hat down on both sides of my head with my hands. "I mean it! Stop!" Sasuke reached for the kunoichi, but missed and she fell forward onto me. We toppled backwards and I wrapped around her waist instinctively. My mistake. I hit the rail of the bridge and slid down it, effectively knocking away the hat. She stared up at me for a moment before I released her and she reached up to touch my scalp, but I swatted her hand away.

"Don't touch it!" Sasuke stood opposite us with wide eyes. I watched him stumble forward, hand outstretched, but I closed my eyes tight and rushed to my feet, grabbing the hat. "I gotta go..." I stuttered, turning to run home.  
_  
And she dreams she's dancing  
Around and around without any cares  
And her very first love is holding her close  
And a soft wind is blowing her hair_

The vision of the cherry blossom festival returned to me and I felt hot tears stinging my eyes. I could almost see the face now. Ivory skin and ebony hair, dark eyes staring down at me. My knees buckled beneath me and I crumpled to a sitting position, hugging myself as tight as I could. I was shaken from my state if self-pity by an arm around my shoulders. He leaned closer and raven hair tickled my scalp. His forehead rested on my upper back, his soft voice flowing into my ears.

"Naruto, my Naruto. Shh..." he hushed, "I'm here, don't cry anymore. Please don't." But I couldn't comply. I don't know why, but I turned and threw myself into his chest, arms all the way around him. A guttural cry escaped me while he continued to comfort my shaking form.

What felt like hours passed and the exhaustion were so great I couldn't bear to walk or even stand up. Although at any other time I would have protested with all my might, in this moment I allowed Sasuke to carry me back to the place I called my home. Either because I trusted him completely or because I was too tired to care otherwise (I'm not sure which), my eyes slowly drifted closed, the steady beat of Sasuke's heart by my face and gentle thud of his footsteps putting me to sleep.

I'm not sure how much later it was when I awoke, but there was no light pouring in through my bedroom window and my headband had been folded together and placed neatly on my nightstand. Beside it was the alarm clock, which had apparently failed to go off that morning.

9:56 PM

I had been asleep for almost 12 hours?! Wait...who had put me in bed? I felt my brows flare up in epiphany.

...Sasuke!

I swung my legs off the side of the bed and touched my feet to the hardwood floor with a quiet 'thud'. My soft footsteps echoed through my relatively empty home. When I reached the living room, I was horrified that I almost wanted to coo in delight.

Sprawled across my couch with my one leg slung over the back and an arm dangling to the floor lay a sleeping Sasuke. Across his face was a scroll, unwrapped, that he had clearly been reading. His chest moved up and down slowly with each breath and a light snore drifted over from his direction. Grabbing my beanie that had been tossed on the table and slipping it on, I made my way to the couch and crouched down beside it.

I carefully peeled away the scroll and wrapped it back up while managing to not disturb the sleeping Sasuke. Now I had a good look at his face. It had been awhile since I'd seen him so close up. Thick lashes fluttered slightly in his sleep, the shadows cascading onto smooth ivory cheeks. His nose pointed upwards only slightly and curved under at the end, like that of a baby. The end of his face neared with supple pink lips, and then a single digit to trace his jaw line. I was about to pull away when his hand shot out and grabbed around the wrist. I felt his eyes on me and I turned daringly to face him.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked almost roughly. I noted that he still held my wrist. All I could do was stare at him in silence, "What are you doing up, anyways?" he brought himself to a sitting position, still grasping my arm. His face was very close to mine now. He blinked very slowly, and his lashed brushed across my cheek. I finally found my voice.

"S-Sasuke?" was still all I could manage out, though.

"I'm right here," he whispered huskily and pushed forward, our lips colliding. I wasn't sure how to respond at first, but I caught on quickly and nervously wrapped my arms around his neck and grabbing fistfuls of his hair. He pulled back a moment and my heart sank, thinking it was over, but he had only paused to drop his lips down to trail wet kisses along my jaw line. He back up and whispered,

"Open your mouth." I complied and his tongue slipped into my wet cavern. It took a moment, but I reacted and took turns pressing my tongue forward, colliding with his. I crawled up the side of the couch and on top of Sasuke. He ran his hands down my spine, caressing my lower back and sending waves of chills and butterflies through me with every twitch of his movement. His left palm moved to take away my beanie and I snatched backwards immediately.

"No!" Ebony eyes stared up at me, silently pleading and wanting me to trust him. I didn't move as he sat up and slowly took away the hat. I flinched involuntarily and thought I would cry. Thought he would turn away from disgust. Thought...he would call me names. But it never came. There was no cursing, name-calling, or shunning at all. I opened my eyes in time to watch his moist lips press gently to my forehead. When he came back he smiled just slightly.

"You're beautiful."

* * *

A loose-fitting black kimono with orange trim. A huge rust-colored sash was knotted around the waist. Black slip-on shoes and a small, black formal hat. I smiled at myself in the mirror, Iruka's hand on my shoulder. The day arrived; today I was going to the Cherry Blossom Festival. I thought I saw a little teardrop slide down his face, but it was gone at second glance.

"Naruto...you look great." The smile grew a little. I turned and and wrapped him in a hug. In the fabric of his vest, I murmured,

"You've always been with me, Iruka-sensei. Thank you." He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a knock at the front door.  
"I'll get that," he offered before releasing me and heading to answer the knock. I straightened my sash in the mirror and dusted myself off one good time before Iruka's voice summoned me from the living room. I called back that I was coming and headed in his direction. I smiled shyly at the man in my doorway. Sasuke Uchiha dressed in the finest of his clan, blues and blacks in the design of dragons over a kimono nearly matching mine in style. The hat he wore was slightly different from mine, a cerulean veil cascading down to his shoulders.  
I crossed the room in strides to reach him and as I outstretched my hand to touch him, if only to be sure he was still there, he held me off with the palm of his hand. I watched Sasuke as he moved that hand to the rim of his cap, fingering it a moment before sliding it backwards off of his head. A shiver tore through me and my eyes welled with tears. Behind me, Iruka was already crying.

_It's a quarter to seven, that boy's at the door  
And her daddy ushers him in  
And when he takes off his cap  
They all start to cry  
Cause this morning where his hair had all been  
Softly she touches just skin  
_  
"Sasuke, you..." My fingertips brushed along where there should have been hair...and instead I touched nothing but skin. "...why?" His fingers wrapped around my wrist and knocked my hat to the floor as well.  
"Now we're the same. I'm tired of pretending I don't love you." He leaned in and kissed me ever-so-gently before taking my hand into his. I sighed contently and waved good-bye to Iruka.

_And they go dancing, around and around  
Without any cares  
And her very first true love is holding her close  
And for a moment she isn't scared_

* * *

**NS: W00t! Chapter 1 is COMPLETE! Okay, I cried writing the last part...it was just so cute!**

**Notes:  
Dr. Yukura-hoshi--this is based on my two fave authors: Yukura and Staryday(who goes by Hoshi)**

**Much love to the randomness! R&R! **


	2. Swallowed Whole

**Ns: Welcome to another installment of Fifty First Kisses, Fifty Times 'I Love You'! Eh...please excuse the uber OOCness...I couldn't write what I wanted without it...**

**  
****OMG I DON'T OWN NARUTO! ...DUH. :)****  
**

**All the appropriate information is below:**

**2nd Kiss-- Swallowed Whole  
Series: Naruto  
Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke  
Rating: T for content and language  
Summary: It seemed they were the perfect pair. They were always together, always smiling and laughing, but Naruto and Sasuke appeared to touch the bottom of the well. Somewhere along the line, the final string was broken and the two drew further and further away from one another. Living together prolonged it, but somewhere, someone needed to compromise...Naruto was the first to volunteer.  
Start Date: 3/25/07  
Finish Date:  
Inspiration: Real life experiences  
Authoress: NeuroticSeduction**

* * *

It seemed they were the perfect pair. They were always together, always smiling and laughing, but Naruto and Sasuke appeared to touch the bottom of the well. Somewhere along the line, the final string was broken and the two drew further and further away from one another. Living together prolonged it, but somewhere, someone needed to compromise...Naruto was the first to volunteer.

Naruto began the morning with a rude wake-up call from the sun, peeking through the blinds and splaying across his face. A groan escaped him as he sat up and a slight pain shot through him that seemed to come from his bum. He smiled a little, remembering the night before. Turning to the right, he could clearly make out Sasuke's sleeping form, bunched up beneath the bed covers. Naruto's partial smile weakened as his gaze fell down on his naked thighs. Clearly imprinted on the outside of them were purple marks where Sasuke had gripped them. Matching blue bruises were present of Naruto's hips as well. He smiled sadly.

"Sasuke was...really rough," he mused, hissing as he brushed his fingertips around the edges of the marks. They weren't the only evidence of Sasuke's gruffness. Not only from the previous night, but from many times beforehand. Freshly inflicted wounds included a dark red hickey on the blond's collarbone and various bites and scratches along his back and torso. A particuarly one was torn deep across his ribcage, courtesy of his lover's orgasm. There were other various barely visable scars assorting in size and color down the full length of Naruto's body, but he didn't mind. He never minded.

Even as he crossed the room and opened the bottom drawer of the dresser, he didn't mind. As he stole away some peroxide and bandages, as he tended his wounds, Naruto still did not mind because he had Sasuke. He loved Sasuke and that was all that mattered. Naruto promised he would always love and take care of his koibito, and do whatever he could to make him happy. That satisfaction alone was enough to make Naruto content.

Putting the drawn out items back into the drawer and shutting it as quietly as possible, Naruto pulled on orange and white pajamas, then hurriedly tip-toed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

By the time Sasuke stumbled into the kitchen, Naruto already had pancakes and plates piled high with eggs and bacon waiting on the table. He smiled brightly from his place at the stove.

"Good morning, Sasuke. How are you feeling tod--" he stopped in mid-sentence as Sasuke came behind him and attacked the boy's neck, knawing at the delicate skin there. Naruto smiled fakely and allowed his lover's hands to wander. He began to enjoy it just slightly when a rough digit pressed into his hip. Naruto hissed in pain as he drew back and struck Sasuke accidently. Sasuke had a highly annoyed expression on his gace, lightly tinted with anger and rising.

"You pushed me," he accused, gritting his teeth just slightly. Naruto's eyes widened.

"No! I just-" he was cut short by a sharp slap across his left cheek. The sting remained for several moments after while Sasuke turned abruptly and yanked away the tablecloth, bringing the food Naruto had prepared crashing down with it. Sasuke stomped away and the front door slammed shut and the blond winced, feeling a limp rise in his throat.

"I will not cry," he croaked, voice cracking noticably, "I will not cry. I'm stronger than that. I brought it on myself. I should not have pushed him, that's all."

Naruto knew he had not pushed Sasuke. He would never do that. But he was convincing himself otherwise, for the sake of what he called their relationship. Naruto was stilled slightly jarred from the impact, but crawled over to the mess Sasuke had created on the floor and picked up pieces of broken dishes and food.

"I will not cry," he chanted time and again, thin clear tears slipping unnoticed down his numbed cheek.

And so, much later, when the floor was wiped clean and the table reset with silverware and the napkin holder, Naruto was nearly finished. All that was left was to do was cook dinner and then wash the dishes after. Said dinner was simmering away on the stove; a mild red curry and rice with a teapot that had just gone off, whistling behind it. Naruto hurried to shut off the eye and the squeal died down. He gave the curry one last stir before taking the pot into his hand and scooping portions onto the piles of steaming rice on the table. Sasuke would be home any minute and things had to be just right. It was Sasuke's birthday and even though he had tried to start his day off good and failed, that didn't mean he couldn't finish it well.

And as this was all finished, Naruto smiled to himself and reached across the table to light two white candles. And then he sat. The clock across the room read 6:35 PM, meaning Sasuke would be home any minute. Cerulean eyes glanced down at the steaming pile of curry and rice.

He always did something for Sasuke on his birthday, no matter what. The previous year, the dedicated blond got out of bed with the flu and still managed to make Sasuke a pot roast and vegetables, his western-style favorite. Sasuke had been so happy; he'd even given Naruto a hug and a kiss and hand-fed him with a spoon. They made slow, gentle love until the wee hours of the morning and Sasuke told him how much he loved him.

Naruto smiled fondly at the memory, but it slowly melted away as he glanced down and noticed that delicious steam no longer slipped away from the plates of food. The candles in the table's center had worn down to their halfway mark, wax building up at their bases. The flames flickered dangerously, threatening to go out at any instance. A quick feel of ceramic told him the tea had gone cold as well. Naruto's shot back to the clock.

"Eight fifty-nine?! Have I been sitting here that long?" Naruto asked aloud. He shot to his feet and ran through the house, checking to see if he somehow missed Sasuke's arrival home. He flung himself into empty rooms and burst through every door more than once. His empty steps echoed all through the home against the hardwood floors. Every room was exactly how he had left them, mostly tidy and untouched. Beds in guest rooms that were never used remained made, covers turned down slightly for the guest he knew they would never have. All the floors were the same, never changing, staying consitant through and through. A hard exterior, and even tougher interior that stayed untouched. After awhile of hopeless searching, Naruto gave up, deciding Sasuke wasn't home. A defeated sigh heaved from him and he retrieved the present he got Sasuke, all wrapped up in black and blue paper, and set it down by his lover's plate on the kitchen table.

Naruto took his place there once more, looking and feeling slightly dejected. By the time he was settled back in his seat, the clock read 9:30. His eyes stared blankly out, consiousness buried deep in thought and minutes passed unnoticed.

_Where is my Sasuke? He's never home this late...Maybe he got hurt on his mission! Or he's been captured by enemy nin! What if he...NO!_ Naruto snapped out of the daze and rubbed his temples. _That won't _happen_ to Sasuke. He's just too strong for that!_

Panicking, despite what he told himself, his eyes found the clock once more.

_Oh my God...11:00_

Just as the blond Kyuubi was about to release his tears, the door in the livingroom opened and closed. The lights were off and the candles dimenished their wicks, leaving only a mountanious pile of wax. Raven hair and the body attatched stumbled a little as it entered the kitchen and dining room area.

"Sasuke! Thank goodness! I thought something terrible had--"

"Shut up."

Naruto halted in mid-step as he had headed to greet Sasuke. "Sasuke, what's..." The look his lover gave him made his mouth stop functioning. Without warning, the glare melted away from him and he stumbled forward, wrapping his arms around the blond's neck.

"You're really...pretty," he breathed. Naruto jerked his head backwards and coughed.

"Have you been drinking?"

Sasuke's face turned sour again and he uncoiled himself from Naruto. "Why? Does that _bother_ you?" He positively _spat_ the word 'bother', "Because I don't fucking care."

"No, I don't mind..." Naruto lied badly and wrung his hands together, turning to take his place at the table once more. He smiled meekly up at Sasuke. "Aren't you going to eat this nice dinner I made you? I made it...for your birthday and all...I just didn't expect you to be in so late, so it's a little cold..." Naruto placed the right words at the right time so as not tp upset the intoxicated man in front of him. Sasuke's eyes scanned everything on the table. From the plates of curry, to the cups of tea, and even to the melted candles. He looked back to Naruto.

"And?"

Naruto would've stumbled backwards had he been standing. Instead, he flinched and felt a pang of hurt shoot through his chest. "Well, I just thought maybe you'd like to spend some time with me, like last...year..." he trailed off.

"You shouldn't have assumed something so stupid like that."

Naruto stood with his hands outstretched slightly. "But Sasuke! I just want to be close to you! I want to have time together to do things with you!"

Sasuke's glazed-over eyes glared menecingly and he brought himself upright. "Maybe I just want to do things alone!" he almost screamed. he took three steps forward and Naruto drew back, expecting to be struck. Instead, Sasuke about-faced and stormed towards the bedroom. And even though the physical pain never came, a deep hurt formed within Naruto, and he could feel the sting on his cheek and the liquid in his eyes.

* * *

The house was clean, all the laundry was done, and Naruto was freshly bathed and dressed and had on his best silk kimono. He smiled keenly at his reflection in the mirror and patted himself down, straightening out the creases. A quick glance at the wall clock told him it would only be a few minutes before his beloved came home...on their two-year anniversary. It had been two weeks since Sauske's birthday and he had made up for what happened by giving Naruto as much love and attention as he could fit into one day. Naruto was now certain that he could trust him completely and was very much prepared for that evening's activities. He smiled to himself at the thought. One last minute preparation, spritzing on some **Hugo(1)**, the present Naruto had gotten Sasuke for their anniversary and he heard the front door open and close.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed happily and headed in the direction of the front room. However, the sight that befell him was not one he had expected to see. There, in the doorway, under poor light from the lamp near him, stood Sasuke, with a look in his eyes that would make even the Kyuubi cower in fear. A flame shimmered in them that was unmatched by any jounin. Naruto swallowed hard and stumbled backward, making for the closest exit. He had seen this look many times before and oftentimes found himself on the recieving end of whatever wrath Sasuke happened to be experiencing.

Naruto scrambled away and held his eyes closed tight in prayer that he would be able to escape with minor injuries and had nearly made it to the back door when something held him back. Something had hold of the sash from his kimono and wouldn't let him go any further. He looked back to find that it was the side table that had caught the loop. Tears of frustration forming on his cheeks, he gave it a hard tug and broke free. Unfortunently, that was enough time for Sasuke to catch up to him. Naruto found himself suddenly being pulled to his feet by a hand jerking his hair. He called out and clawed at the hand that grasped him.

Sasuke growled and slapped Naruto clean across his left cheek; the kitsune barely made a sound, knowing better than to act out.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Did you think I wouldn't find out?!" he shook Naruto hard and expected an answer.

"I don't know what you mean, Sasuke! I--"

"Shut the fuck up!" Sasuke screamed and struck him again. "Don't you realize that people in this village _talk_? I _know_ you've been going to Kiba's house all the time when I'm on missions!"

Naruto was dumbstruck. He had no idea what Sasuke was talking about, but he never left the house without his lover. His cheek burned from teh force of the blows and the few tears that fell down them practically hissed from it. Naruto tried to pull away.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I never go anywhere without you!" he nearly screamed. And he told the truth. He just couldn't understand what would make Sasuke think that. Said man almost released the grip on his hair, then caught a whiff of the air.

"What the FUCK?" Sasuke grabbed the front of Naruto's kimono and dragged it up to his face. "How are you going to sit there and tell me that you haven't done anything when it's fucking all _over_ you. What's the matter? Forgot to take a fucking shower afterwards?!" Naruto was still confused and prepared to again ask what he was talking about when he felt Sasuke's fist make contact with his jaw once again. This time, as it happened, Sasuke let the force of the blow knock him backwards and away from him. Naruto's crumpled body slid across the hardwood and didn't move. "All I fucking asked for is to come home on our fucking _anniversary_ and spend some fucking _time_ with you and this is what I get?! You smell like a fucking man and this isn't anything like anything _we_ fucking own! I'm going to bed." his voice echoed through the home and he stormed away, slamming the bedroom door hard enough to make the walls shake.

Naruto, a shuddering mess on the floor, took a small breath. "I'm...alone..."

* * *

There was only a slight hesitation before He wrote it. Pen to paper, handwriting shaken from the endless quaking his body provided. A simple sentence was all that was needed. He tacked it to the wall, few teardrops shattering as they hit the hardwood beneath Him. Underneath where He put up the note, his body slid down against the wall and slumped to the floor. The kimono He still wore was torn to shreds where it was gripped, but He didn't care. It wouldn't matter soon enough, anyways.

In his shaking right hand he loosely gripped a kunai with crushed rubies pressed into the metal--it was the birthday present He had gotten Sasuke, though until that moment, it had remained unopened.

**"Like paper hours...shredded as they pass. To deny them, is to walk on broken glass (2)**," his gentle voice recited, holding the kunai a little tighter. "This must be what you wanted. Afterall, you told me once that you wanted to do things alone...right?" a sad smile came to Him and He held the blade to his throat, pressing into where He could feel his heartbeat speed up under the point. Another shallow breath was taken and with a swift swipe across the thin flesh there, the steady beating came to a stop. The lifeless body slumped over, eyes wide open, mouth cracking a sickening smile, blood splashed across his hand and collecting in a dark puddle beside him, leaking even to taint his wild golden locks.

When Sasuke would enter some time later, he would find Naruto like this. He would be far too late but he would check to see if he was alive anyways. He would shriek in horror and rip the note Naruto left him from the wall. He would read it and chills would run down his spine as they reality of the words sunk it. It would say:

_"Maybe I just want to do things alone, too."_

...and Sasuke...would cry.

* * *

**Alternative Ending--This begins right before the very last scene switch. Maybe some of you will like this version better...?**

* * *

Closing the door behind himself without making any noise was not as hard as He thought it would be. Neither was reaching into the top of the closet and drawing out a box from two weeks ago that remained unopened and quietly unwrapping it, dropping the paper to the floor. The contents of such, a ruby-encrusted kunai He had gotten for his beloved on his birthday, shined eerily in the bit of moonlight seeping it between the blinds over the bed where Sasuke slept. For some time, He only stood there, fingering the blade, slicing through the skin of his fingertips and running the blood created from such down the handle. And then He decided. He would not take it anymore.

He made his way to the side of the bed and turned down the covers just slightly, only enough to discover Sasuke's beautifully naked throat. The sleeping man's chest moved up and down slowly with his breathing, flawless skin bathing in that same moonlight. It sickened Him. He took in a shuddering breath and brought the blade down only close enough to run along the flesh without slicing.

"Sasuke..." He whispered. The other opened his eyes just slightly.

"Naruto...? What the hell are you--" A sickening gaze came over Him and He shrugged slightly before gripping the kunai and pressing down with such force that the bed groaned beneath them. There may have been murmering. There may have been tears. There may have even been pleas for help. But if they were present, He took no notice of them. He sank to the floor and smiled a little at the thin trail of blood that had found a way down the sheets and dripped steadily onto His knee.

"Good-bye."

* * *

**NS: Well...I'm done. I hate to sound excited at the end of a chapter like **_**this**_** one, but...I did finish! So which did you like better? The suicide or the murder? I think I like the suicide the best, but that's just me. I know the timing was a little...fast during the part where Naruto was waiting for Sasuke to come home, but...-shrug- I needed it like that. Again, gomen for the extreme OOCness and I hope I haven't cliched in a way that I missed...as I have often done that before. Oh, and I hope none of you missed the fact that when I capitalized 'He' or 'Him', it was Naruto. R&R!**


	3. Special Training

**NS: Suppy, my people? Here's yet another one-shot from moi! It's another NaruSasu and it's in third person. Uhm...yah. Enjoy! Oh, and I apologize for the length. I wanted to get something else up on this story...so I pumped out another NaruSasu. You all seem to like those, so far...**

**Also, I KNOW that Jiraiya and Ebisu were the ones training Naruto in the 'walking on water' technique, but for the sake of the one-shot...he's teaching himself and Sasuke is watching.**

OMG I DON'T OWN NARUTO! ...DUH. :)

**All the info is below:**

**Special Training****  
Series: Naruto  
Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke  
Rating: T for suggestive themes  
Summary: Naruto just can't seem to get a hang of chakra control. Can a certain Sasuke Uchiha give him his own brand of a halping hand?  
Start Date: 4/21/07  
Finish Date: 4/22/07  
Inspiration: -shrug- I dunno. Blame Three Days Grace if you must.  
**

Sasuke stared in disbelief as he watched the hopeless boy before him fall through the water once again. He rolled my eyes and brought his knee to his chest, resting his arm on it. The other's blond head popped out of the water shouting various cusses that had clearly started while still beneath the water. Sasuke's crude attempt at stifling a laugh was successful and Naruto came stomping over to him from out of the water, fists clenched.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit! While the hell can't I get this?! It's not that hard!" Sasuke shook my head disapprovingly.

"Baka dobe…why do I have to put up with you?"

"HMP! If you don't like it, then go home!" The taller of the two smirked at him and let his leg drop.

"I've been sent by Kakashi to baby-sit you since I've already finished all my training." Sasuke had always loved the look Naruto got on his face when he said things like that to his face…just to be mean.

"Why do you have to be such an ass?"

"Why do you have to be so stupid?"

"…SHUT-UP!!" He turned and stomped back over to the water, peeling the soaking jacket and shirt from his skin. Ebony eyes lit up for a moment when they saw the water glistening off his chest and back but Sasuke put a stop to that, forcing away images that had flashed before his mind and shook it away mentally.

_'Now, now…can't have myself thinking these like that. Especially with him so near me…' _He coaxed myself back into nirvana and crossed his legs, continuing to watch the dobe fail. Naruto focused his chakra, made the correct hand-sign, stepped onto the water, and…SPLASH! Sasuke couldn't hold back any longer; he burst out in laughter, doubled over on his side.

"Baka…baka…baka DOBE!" Sasuke gasped between breaths. Naruto hit the surface of the water angrily and growled.

"ARGGGG!!! Why can't I get this?!" When the raven-haired boy finished his laughing fit, he stood and removed his shirt as well (just in case) before doing as Naruto had attempted. Sasuke focused his chakra, made the corresponding hand sign, and…stood calmly atop the water. Sasuke crossed his arms and 'hmp'd.

"Now…just what was so hard about that?" He stood half-submerged in the water, staring stupidly up at the other ninja, mouth agape.

"How…did you….but….what the hell?!" Sasuke smirked and his arms seemed to naturally cross themselves. The smaller boy beneath him pouted anda bout of pity overcame him. He reached down and grabbed Naruto's hand, pulling him up.

"Focus your chakra! Now!" Sasuke demanded, and he did it in air, landing beside him on the water. He held fast to Sasuke's hand as his knees wobbled beneath him. His other hand clutched the Uchiha's remaining and he stood atop the rippling waves, swaying slightly. A huge smile overcame his face and he looked up at Sasuke, blue eyes bright. Those eyes that were so captivating. So full of the essence of life in itself, so beautiful in the light of the shining sun. Sasuke felt a tug at the corner of his lips and a warmth within his own gaze accompaning it.

"Look at that. You've got it."  
He grinned. "Yay!" he exclaimed and released Sasuke's hands to do a voctory pose. He wobbled for a moment before falling backwards. Sasuke lunged forward and caught him around the waist.

"Can't have you falling again." His eyes shot open and pink rose in his cheeks.

"Ack! Lemme go!" he tried to stand back up, but couldn't without help. Sasuke thought it would be fun to keep him there another moment, smirking gladly.

"Looky here. You're stuck and can't get up. Tsk tsk." Feeling only a bit sorry for the uncoordinated blond, he pulled him up…but didn't expect a counter. As soon Naruto was lifted, he sprung higher in the air and landed on Sasuke's torso, who only managed to maintain his balance a moment longer before toppling over-- both of them hitting the water with a huge splash. Sasuke's eyes opened while still beneath beneath the water's surface and thrashed his arms and legs--he hadn't expected Naruto to plan a suprise attack like that. As a counter, he grabbed him and brought him beneath him, forcing him to stay under. Naruto tried to respond, but wasn't strong enough to get out from under his comrade. His flailing ceased suddenly, cerulean gaze fixing itself on the nin hovering just above him.

Sasuke's mind shut down, the blond floating further towards the surface of the water, their chests now bumped together. Naruto's hair tickled Sasuke's forehead. Apparently forgetting they were underwater, Naruto opened his mouth to speak, however he never found the chance. Sasuke's mouth had attacked his own, stopping whatever action he had been attempting. His first reaction had been to force Sasuke away, but the action was soon forgotten, a hot tingle worming it's way up his spine and into his mouth. Throwing all common sense and meaning to the wind, Naruto pressed into Sasuke, loosely bringing his arm around his waist.

It was heat. It was fire. A joining of two forms and bringing them together as one. Water all around just barely cooled them down. Hot, cold, warm, flesh, mouth, tongue, hands, lips, teeth, jaws, hair, hips. Everything all at once. It belonged to them both, and yet to neither. In that moment, there was no hate, no lonliness, no rejection. There was no fear and no anger. There was only warmth. A warmth that extended from the inside out and swirled around their bodies, connected at the lips. A great security blanket draped over and around them, bringing the two closer than they even realized. 

Heat from Sasuke's mouth poured into Naruto's and even as they came back out of the water, they never broke for more than an instant for air. Sasuke kept Naruto beneath him on the shore, raven hair sticking to both of their faces.

Sasuke tore his lips away to nip at his collarbone with teeth and tounge, Naruto panting heavily from all of his affected senses and the excitement of it all. 

Moist skin tasted better than the finest dish in Sasuke's mouth, slick under his lips and hands and fingers and he heard, he _felt_ Naruto purr deep in his chest, vibrating lightly against tounge.

Half in water, half on land, Naruto's body screamed, unable to stay still under the contrasting temperatures and sensations running through him. He didn't care whose body was pressed against his or where they were and what they were supposed to be doing, and it seemed none of it mattered. And it didn't.

Sasuke's face appeared back in front of Naruto's half-drawn eyes and kissed his pink, pouty lips lazily, then collapsed on his chest, breathing irregularly. "Naru...to..."

Naruto's hand came up to drift it's fingers through Sasuke's hair. "Shh...no talking...teme..."

Sasuke smirked just a little. "Baka...Dobe."

**NS: Sooooooo? How was that? I actually wrote this over a year ago, but I just now edited it and added the ENTIRE romance scene at the end. Before, it ended with Naruto almost drowning and Sasuke doing CPR and bla bla bla...then I realized it wasn't romantic AND it is HIGHLY improbable (sp?) that a ninja would drown like that. So, yeah. I like this one much better. Oh, and it was in Sasuke's POV before, so if you see a randomly placed 'I' or 'my' or the like, just leave a note in the review and I'll fix it! **


	4. A Shadow in Darkness

** NS: Ohayo! It's NS with another one-shot! …bow to me! …ahem. So anyways, this is one that came to me some time ago while playing the Hallow Bastion level of Kingdom Hearts I. It's actually a rather simple concept that I managed to turn into an entire chapter…GO ME!! …yeah. Uhm, I know there's a huge difference between the start and finish dates, but that's b/c I was staying at Seaki's house and didn't get the fic back until 5/6/07, cause I was writing this on her PC. Then...I got really backed up on other fics...soooo...Yah. All the info is below.**

**OH!! And it seems like I messed something up, but its totally on purpose! I know that when you have Beast, as soon as you get to the Castles Gates and in the room (me forgets what tis called), you fight Riku, but I changed it for the sake of the fic. TY. **

**.:(insert name here):. is POV **

**OMG I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS! ...DUH. :) **

**4th Kiss: A Shadow in Darkness**

**Series: Kingdom Hearts**

**Pairing: Hints of Sora/Riku**

**Rating: T for content**

**Summary: YAOI Sora seems to be the model teenager, and the perfect person to become the keybearer. But is this little ball of sunshine all there is to Sora? Or will his true personality show through? SLASH Hints of SoRi ONESHOT**

**Start Date: 4/10/07**

**Finish Date: 7/30/07**

.:Sora:.

A shadow in darkness.

That was the one thing that never left my mind. Through Traverse Town, Wonderland, Agrabah, Neverland, and even Hollow Bastion. I could never get those four words out of my head, no matter what challenges or obstacles I came across. And there was one other thing…

_Riku._

Sure, I had begun my quest in search of Kairi, and to some extent it was still for her, but it was soon after my encounter with Riku in Traverse Town, that I realized who it was I was truly searching for. The one person who really kept me going was the silver-haired angel from Destiny Islands. Every time I got even the slightest glimpse of him, an alien feeling surged through me and it was during those moments that I was thankful for baggy shorts.

…and back to the original thought process, a 'shadow in darkness' didn't really make as much sense as I would have liked. That may have been the reason it was stuck with me, but I like to think there was a deeper meaning that that. I believe that I had a shadow in darkness; and that shadow was my Riku.

…more on that later.

There I sat in Hollow Bastion. It was shortly after everything had been taken from me and replaced with a giant teddy-bear and a fucking toothpick. By everything I am of course referring to my keyblade and friends, Donald and Goofy. Or at least I thought they were my friends. Although, in that moment in time, I wasn't so sure. They had, after all, abandoned me for the one I had once thought to be my silver-haired angel, as previously mentioned. Then he took it away. He took it all away.

Back on the island, I was always the goofy, smiling kid with big shoes and spiky hair. Small as the place was, most of them there didn't even know my name. I was most commonly known as 'Riku's friend' or such. No one really knew who I was. Even from my own parents, I had to come home, only to be compared to Riku.

'_Sora, why can't you be more like Riku?'_

'_Riku's such a nice young boy. You should follow his example.'_

'_Toughen up a little, Sora! Like that Riku friend of yours!'_

My fist clenched up at the sheer memory.

I never really had anything I could call 'my own'. I kept thinking I had found my own hobby, and then would come Riku, adapting it as his own and being twice as good as I ever could be. And then finally, _finally_, something was _mine_. The keyblade. Heh. Or so I thought.

As soon as I got to Hollow Bastion, I came to find out even _that_ was just a hand-me-down from Riku. And then that was taken from me as well. And what did I get in return for my efforts? Beast. And a wooden sword. Oh, gee, Riku. Thanks a bunch.

And of course, it wasn't enough that I had gone to all the worlds, defeated all the heartless, watched my best friend get swallowed up by darkness, and fought with the one-winged devil, Cloud. I also had to baby sit a big furry prince and fight my way through masses of shadows that attacked me from the _floor _while running for my life to try and get back my friends. Yeah. You try it.

I stopped dead in my tracks. Beside me, Beast paused as well. I frowned a little at that; why did whoever was with me always stop when I did? Grr. I glanced up at him and took a deep breath.

"Hey, uh…I think I need a little alone time, do you think you could, you know, leave me alone for a while?

"But, Belle is—"

"I know. We'll save her eventually. In case you forgot, I've got people to find, too, but right now…Just let me go." He stared blankly at me for a few moments, then sighed and nodded. I smiled a little. 'Sword' (aka toothpick) tucked safely away in my pocket via magic spell (where'd you think my weapons and junk always went?), I took my leave and headed up a staircase in the Grand Hall to a large brown door on the left side of the room. As it swung open, I was hit with a breath of stale air like old books and moldy papers. This was explained as I shut the door back and scanned along the many shelves of books around me.

"Ah, the library," I noted, more to myself than anyone else, seeing as I could find no one around. Scattered along the floor were books that were very out of place, as the whole place appeared to be color-coodinated, and there were holes where books should have been on the shelves. "What kind of librarian do these people have...?"

There weren't many books that looked like the kind I would have read, so I didn't. After turning a few corners and hi-jumping my way over some shelves (Did I knock some books in the floor? 'Oops'.), I found a...half-way spiraled stairway? Sure, that sounds good. I took it all the way to the next, and apparently last, floor and found...guess what! More boring books! ...and a table and rest point!

...woo.

There were chairs at the table, so I sank back into one of them and threw my arm across my face to shield my eyes from the excessive light in the room. A heaved a huge sigh and kicked my feet up onto the table.

It was things like that that really made me miss the Destiny Islands. Here was one of my few chances for rest, where I could just sit down for a minute, where on the Islands all I ever wanted was something to do. I really took my entire life and being for granted back then. I thought that there had to be something more out there and I was simply _dying_ to get out and check. Well, just looky where _that's_ gotten me, eh?

Thoughts and plans of leaving were started long before we ever had even the slightest idea for making a stupid raft. How far would that really even have gotten us before it capsized? Psht, whatever. I went along with it. But Riku and I had always been friends. My very first memory was of me and Riku, playing in the sand. We used to play 'adventure' around the Islands all the time. We would be rich explorers, or jungle men. Sometimes even members of a cruise ship that sunk beneath our feet. Whatever the case, we dreamed of something more. Something different. Something _far away_.

And then the situation changed. Riku was nine and I was eight when the new mayor moved to our Islands with his daughter, Kairi. It was Riku's idea to go meet her, I just went along with him--because that's how it always went. Riku was the plan, and I was his backup. So we went and we met her, but I never thought she would attach herself to me. She constantly tried to pry me away from my best friend and all our adventures. A lot of the time it even worked because my parents were starting to worry I would turn out gay, so they promptly threw Kairi and her pussy in my face. I was ten by the time they decided to do that, but whatever. That probably wasn't the best call on their part...

...all it did was make me more inclined to get away from her and play with Riku. And still, everytime I would try, she tagged along, spouting stories about how great it was being the mayor's daughter and bla, bla, bla. All I ever really wanted to say to her was, "SHUT THE HELL UP YOU FUZZBAG."

...but I wasn't like that, so I didn't. In fact, it actually went the other way around. Because of all the 'hard work' my parents were doing to get me to like Kairi...I thought I was actually starting to. Of course, then I realized that I was only trying to please my parents in the one thing I thought I might be able to do for them. Too bad that only pushed me further and further across the bridge--the bridge to becoming a little less than straight...

Well, I guess they never found out about me sneaking out before sunrise to meet my angel. My parents... probably didn't know. And I would never be the one to tell them...Hee... But that was then! Of course...now that Destiny Islands had gotten sucked up by the vortex, there would probably be no parents to go and tell anyways. Oh well.

I took a deep breath to calm the thoughts of my past. It would never solve any of the problems I had at the moment anyways. I shook my head and prepared to fall back into my thought process when a loud roar of a voice drifted up to me from where I had originally entered the library. It was Beast.

"Sora! It's that boy with your friends! They're here!"

I jerked to my feet and called for my current keyblade--the Metal Chocobo-- and grinned. This was going to be an exciting fight.

**NS: K, k. Finally done. I know, a kiss. It's like...WOAH. She hasn't updated in months! Yeah...but I did! And don't you love it? -grin- Well, it wasn't the delicious yaoi I know you were all hoping for, and he's OOC, but the way I portrayed it, it's so that his real personality is like THAT and the way he acts outwardly is just a front. Well, anyways, if you have questions, ask in a review. R&R!**


	5. From Youth

**NS: HMMMMMM...I should not have started this Kiss before finishing my OTHER one-shots, but when you get inspiration...you know. You just HAVE to do something about it! I don't know how this is going to turn out, but you'll find out what I think of it in my end A/N. I've never done anything like THIS, so I hope it turns out okay. -sigh- Here we go!**_**  
**_**  
OMG I DON'T OWN NARUTO! ...DUH. :)**

_**Fifth Kiss**_**-- From Youth  
Series: Naruto  
Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke  
Rating: T for suggestive themes  
Summary: Naruto always had a hard life of no love and little care, but he wasn't alone. He's always had a friend named Sasuke Uchiha. YAOI NaruSasu Some Drabble  
Start Date: 6/3/07  
Finish Date: 4/1/08  
Inspiration: real-life experiences and 'Best of Intentions' by Travis Tritt  
Authoress: NeuroticSeduction  
**

.:Naruto:.

There was never any love for me.

From the young age at which I discovered what it meant to be loved, I realized then that I lacked it. In fact, I lacked most everything. I had a home, a sort of makeshift orphanage I stayed with until I was eleven, at which point I was given a small apartment. But it was at that house of six other children without parents that I learned all of life's lessons the hard way. This was because even in our small numbers, I found no friends.

All of the children there told me constantly that there was something wrong with me, that I had a disease and there was no cure for it. They said that was the reason for the whisker-shaped scars across both cheeks. That was why when I got so incredibly angry that I broke everything I touched, my eyes flashed red. That was why when I fell on the playground and scraped my knee, but no one would go and get help for me, I became consumed by my anger and the wound healed itself. I had once stood and broke someone's leg because no one would help me. But it was their fault…

A nice woman ran the nursery. She was older and had soft blond hair that was silky to the touch. She bore kind, green eyes that shone in the sunlight, and always carried a happy smile. She was the only one I ever considered a friend. Her name was Hanue, but we all called her Kaa-san**(1)**.

Kaa-san always made sure we were fed and had clean bed sheets and clothes. She let us get dirty, but made sure we bathed directly after, and on special holidays, she fixed us up whatever meal we wanted, as long as the budget permitted. I cared about her more than I did anything else in the world.

There was a time when I thought that was love.

Later on, I made a friend. I was eight years old when he was brought to the orphanage. The other kids (there were only four of us left by then) kept telling me not to touch him or talk to him because he was from an elite clan in the village and I would just taint his pure blood, but I just snorted and crossed my arms. He didn't look special to me.

So I _did_ go up and talk to him. Our first 'conversation' went something like:

"Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be the fifth Hokage!" No response. So I kept going, "And then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me!" I announced proudly, poking my thumb into my chest. I waited ten full seconds and he still hadn't responded, so I plopped down beside him and stared curiously for a moment before I started up again. "You look cool. Like an avenger or sumthin'!" I laughed, "But that's just crazy cause you're just a little kid!" He didn't turn to look at me. He didn't nod his head or do anything to acknowledge me. More importantly, he didn't _leave_. No matter what I rambled on about, he never left or called me names. He didn't shun me for no reason just like everyone else. That was the best relationship I'd ever had.

There was a time when I thought, perhaps, this was the love I was searching for.

After all, even Kaa-san flinched when I touched her and tried to cover it up with a smile. She never really tried to be friends, but she didn't leave either. I was mistaken in that love.

At least Sasuke let me touch him.

I would go off and be completely consumed in my rantings towards him, being ignored entirely and if I accidentally brushed past him or laid a hand on his shoulder, he never tensed or backed away. He just stared intently ahead, barely a hint of his breathing present.

...and that's all that _ever_ happened, because he never, _ever_ said anything back. But that was okay. He didn't need to say anything. He could just sit and stare out the window all day, and I would never mind. Where he sat actually turned out to be a good thing because I always knew where he was if I felt like talking (and I always did). After we had had these 'conversations' for a few months, it suddenly came to my attention that it was October 10th--my birthday. It was my ninth, but, like always, Kaa-san stayed far away from me. Some years later, I came to know that this was because my birthday was the day I took the fox into my body.

I was the loneliest I had been all year and instead of talking to Sasuke, I sat quietly with him and we stared at nothing together. I propped my forehead on my knee and began to nod off when I felt warm fingers coil around mine. My head shot up and I looked at Sasuke, confused out of my mind.

"Sasuke, why--"

"You need it. You talk to me, even though I'm different, and you stay with me everyday, even though I pretend to ignore you. You are the loudest and loneliest person that I know and you need me right now." He managed to keep a straight face all the way through his impressive speech. I smiled and nodded slightly, squeezing back. I whispered a barely audible,

"Thank you."

After that day, Sasuke followed me everywhere, always a half step behind me, always attached to my hand. I don't know if he thought I still needed him for it, or if he was somehow afraid of losing me after his confession. Either way, I didn't mind. He began to open up a bit more. He sometimes had comments about things I said that he would toss into the conversations. For nine year olds, our language was a lot more advanced than the other kids there were. We actually talked about things that were important to us. I told him about my childhood before he got there and what I wanted to do when I was older (he was quite aware of my obsession with Hokage at that point).

Nonetheless, we lead a rather meager existence, but met somewhere in the middle. I brought Sasuke more to the light, and he held me back in the shadows, but it all worked out just as well. Kaa-san stopped paying me any attention at all. Maybe she forgot me, or maybe she just stopped caring. Occasionally, Sasuke would look at me while I was talking and smile just slightly. When he did, I couldn't help but mimic his happiness. He had that rare kind of shine that makes you want to forget everything and just _smile_.

Before I knew it, it was July 23rd--Sasuke's tenth birthday (he loved to point out that he was three months older than I was). He told me to follow him, and, holding his hand still, I did. He took me away from the orphanage and into the rest of the village. We didn't tell anyone we were leaving, but no one would have noticed anyways. We walked in silence, and this time, I was a whole step behind Sasuke and I looked down at our linked hands, and for the first time, when I saw them touching like that, I felt my face grow warm.

It was near sundown when we reached the pier. No one else was around--it was just the two of us. He sat me down at the edge of the wood and our legs swung over the side. His toes almost touched the water. For a long moment, he just stared out at the water, the reds and oranges of the sky reflecting in his eyes.

"When... I was alone... before they made me go to the orphanage... I spent all of my time here." Sasuke began. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes without turning my head. This was monumental. Sasuke had never spoken to me about his past before.

"Did you ever… have parents?" Sasuke inhaled sharply and nodded.

"A mother, a father... a brother."

I smiled a bit. "I've always wanted a brother..." Sasuke shook his head.

"No. Brothers are bad. He was older than I was and I was always trying to catch up to him, but I never succeeded. I could never ever get my father to look at me if Itachi was in the same room as us. Itachi... that's my brother." Sasuke paused and looked upwards, kind of staring off into space for a moment before he picked back up. "But I always respected him. Even though I was never as good, I loved my brother every day of my life... until he ruined it. Until he took it all away."

I swallowed hard, "What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Itachi's best friend was killed. Everyone blamed Itachi, but I knew he would never do something like that... A few days later, I stayed out training in the woods until almost dark. I remember thinking about how much trouble I was going to be in for staying out so long. But as soon as I entered the Uchiha estates... all I could see anywhere was blood. My aunt and uncle were in shreds at my feet. Cousins and distant relatives were slaughtered all around me. My first thought was 'Mom'."

I gripped Sasuke's hand tighter. I never knew anything so horrible could happen to someone. I felt such sorrow for him. I nodded for him to continue. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

"When I got inside my home, there in the front room, sitting propped back to back on the floor, were my parents. There was an instant where I was relieved for it, but then I saw the...blood. On the floor, on the walls... all over both of their bodies. And hovering just above them, standing within the shadows, was Itachi."

I felt a chill run through me. Could one's own brother really do that...?

"A drop of blood fell off the point of his sword and... well, anyways. I don't know why, but he didn't kill me. And he had done all of that damage simply for a jutsu called the Mangekyo Sharingan." Sasuke's hand gripped mine so tightly; I could scarcely feel my fingers anymore. Then suddenly, he tore his hand away and gripped his face. I knew by the way he body shook that he was crying. Shakily, I took both arms and wrapped them around his shoulders. He gasped, then turned and buried his face in my chest.

We sat there for hours, never speaking. Some of it with Sasuke crying in my arms, some with me staring so softly at him and his ebony eyes, and there at the end, with his head in my lap. He hand reached up to play with a lock of my hair, while I smoothed his over, petting his hair and face. The moon was full and round, that and the stars the only thing lighting our solitary night. I never wanted it to end... I had never felt so free, so wanted, and so... beautiful even. We slept there on the pier that night, and when we returned to the orphanage the next day, no one had even noticed we were gone.

In the next two years, I learned more about Sasuke than he himself probably knew. There was only one problem; by that point in our lives, we and the other kids knew the meaning of _gay_ and that's what they called us. Sasuke was quite accustomed to ignoring them and promptly did so, but I couldn't help but wonder. Truthfully, I wasn't sure anymore if what they were saying was a lie, or if it was really some sick, twisted truth. At least for me. As far as I could tell, to Sasuke, this was just how best friends acted around one another. But lately every small touch made me jump.

Recently, Sasuke had bent over to pick up the chopsticks I dropped and I got a full view of his round bottom. His shorts rode up so far that I could just see the end of his bum and I couldn't stop staring. I wondered if maybe Sasuke had experienced some of the same symptoms but with him, it was so impossible to tell...

It was all easy enough to ignore for several weeks though, until one morning when Sasuke and I were sitting on a big swing together, holding hands as always. Some boys, Hakuru and Ikebi, walked by and sneered at us, laughing and muttering words like 'queer' and 'fag'. I didn't say anything back, just turned my head and cast my eyes downward, hoping they would leave. But they didn't.

"Hey, little homos. What're you doing today? You gonna play dressup and have a tea party with your dolls?" Taunted Hakuru. Ikebi laughed uproariously behind him. I closed my eyes and gripped Sasuke's hand. Then suddenly, I felt the warmth leave my fingers. I looked up and Sasuke had Hakuru pinned to the ground, a kunai pressed to his throat.

"Are you going to say anything else like that about my friend?!" he demanded. Ikebi ran away and Hakuru pleaded for his life until Sasuke let him up and he ran off in the same direction Ikebi had headed.

The rest of that night was pretty much a blur. I only remember Kaa-san yelling at Sasuke. She shook his shoulders and screamed in his face. Sasuke stood there and took it. He didn't fight back and struggle, he didn't even blink. She grew angrier and slapped him to the floor. After that, I only heard two words:

"GET OUT!"

She left our room and Sasuke crawled over to me, laying his head in my lap. I asked him why, but he wouldn't answer. He ignored me and said,

"I have to leave. I'm going tomorrow."

My eyes shot open. "What?! No! You can't leave!"

"I have to, Naruto. Didn't you hear her?"

"Then I'm going with you!"

He sat up and held his head. "No. You can't. You have a home here. You have to stay." I leapt to my feet and gestured to the room around us.

"You think this is my _home_?! You think I _like_ this stupid place?!" I screamed and knocked a lamp to the floor. I erupted into tears and crumpled to the floor beside him. "I just want to be with you, Sasuke..." I whispered. Sasuke moved to in front of me and I felt his lips press to my cheek.

"I will _always_ be with you."

_Its been several years since that day, but I have never forgotten. I'm much older now and I am happily married. I've adopted a child named Kurimei and I love her very much. My life is everything I could hope it to be._

Naruto smiled and closed his journal. He turned around and picked up his little girl in his arms and Sasuke's voice from down the hall filled his ears. He strode towards him and leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips.

"Ready to go?" Sasuke asked him, an arm around his waist. Naruto grinned.

"Yeah. Come on." The light switched off and the door closed.

The End!

**NS: Ha! I finally finished! Just look at the start and end dates ;;... but yeah. I think it got a little rushed near the end, but thats because I was eager to finish. R&R! 3**


	6. In Sickness and in Health

**NS: Hmm...I suddenly got an idea to do this while writing on my other fic, Warmth of Your Touch. Dunno how that happened.**

**.:(name):. is POV**

OMG I DON'T OWN NARUTO! ...DUH. :)

_**Sixth Kiss**_**-- In Sickness and in Health  
Series: Naruto  
Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke  
Rating: T for suggestive themes  
Summary: Not total crack, but I'm sure it's in there somewhere... YAOI NaruSasu  
Start Date: 6/11/08  
Finish Date: 6/11/08  
Inspiration: my own fic, 'The Warmth of Your Touch'**

  
.:Naruto:.

I, Naruto Uzumaki, do not get sick.

...however, my mind seems to have forgotten that and let my immune system go all la-dee-daa on me, for here I sit on my lime green couch with a towel on my head and a temperature of 102°. Somewhere in the next room was my dubbed babysitter. Can you guess who? Come on, you know.

No.

Nope.

Wrong again.

Ah, now you've got it! Sasuke f-u-chiha.

I cannot stand that bastard. Parading around the whole village with his 'ooo look at me. I'm freakin ruler of the universe' stare. Ugh. Makes me sick. And what the hell was taking him so goddamn long anyways? He was supposed to have his ass in here nursing me back to health, dammit.

"Sas-" I began to scream, but my voice gave and that was all I could manage. Surprisingly, he was in the room in an instant. His eyes were wide as soon as he hit the cream-colored carpet of the den I was seated in.

"What is it?" he asked almost frantically. I cocked an eyebrow and cleared my throat, pushing the aquamarine blanket down away from my chin.

"I'm thirsty."

I watched him eye the glass of icewater sitting on the table in front of me. He began to point, but I shook my head.

"Can't reach it." I confirmed. He glanced around the room, then started slowly forward and lifted the glass, outstretching it in my direction. I shook my head harder. "Don't want water." His eye twitched a little.

"What... do you want, then?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Anything." He eyed the water again. "Except that." After another moment of silence, he aboutfaced and exited the room. As soon as he was out of sight, I began snickering. He passed the test.

_'Apparently, he WILL do anything I ask him to... hmm... this could work to my advantage...'_

Sasuke returned to the room with a glass of pink liquid. A few pieces of ice floated about in the contents.

"What's that?" I asked doubtfully. Sasuke's face went flat.

"Pink lemonade."

I stuck out my tongue. "Gross." Sasuke sighed.

"Just take it." he insisted and started towards me with the glass. I crossed my arms and turned my head.

"No."

"Drink it."

"Don't wanna." 

"Naruto, dammit! Just drink the damn lemonade!"

I clamped my hands over my ears and closed my eyes. "LALALALALAAAA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"Naruto! You are being VERY immature about this!" 

"Fumikomuze akuseru kake hiki wa naisa sou dayo! Youru wo nukeru!"

"NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

I grabbed the blanket and ripped it over my head, hiding underneathe it until I heard Sasuke slam the glass on the table and stomp away, clearly annoyed. I poked my head out, still hiding the rest of me under the cover. I stuck out my tongue and reached for the drink, sipping happily.

"Mmm. Lemonade."

--

Torturing Sasuke was fun.

Unfortunently, sickness had reprieved. After a full three hours of running Sasuke all over the house, doing a number of strange chores including hunting for my bright purple underwear (that were entirely made up, of course), finding a band-aid for my invisable wound (ha! as if I keep _those_ in my house), and making me six seperate meals until I settled on the first thing he had made.

But I was beginning to think that was a bad decision because a stirring was occuring behind my bellybutton.

"Sasuke..." I moaned in pain. He slowly dragged into the room, hair a mess, sticking up in all the wrong places, and clothes practically sticking to him from being drenched in so much sweat. He sighed heavily.

"What now?" he groaned. I leaned over the side of the couch and made a gurgling sound.

"...'m sick." I murmured. In two long strides, Sasuke was beside me. He lifted my head up and stared at me intently. I stared back, not really caring, when I suddenly felt my esophogus grow shorter and the miso soup exploded all over Sasuke's shorts.

He shot to his feet and ripped off his pants, then scooped me into his arms and rushed us to the bathroom. He tore open the toilet lid and I continued to eat my lunch backwards while he held my hair back away from my face. With his free hand, he rubbed circles into my back, soothing me and assuring me that it would be okay shortly. At that moment, I really didn't care what he was saying, but somewhere in me, it was calming anyways.

When I was finished puking, Sasuke reached for my toothbrush cup and dumped it into the sink, filling it up with water. He shoved it in my face and I took it gladly, swishing, then spitting it into the toilet. I stood shakily and flushed, my knees nearly giving beneath me.

Sasuke lifted me up and carried me bridal-style from the bathroom. I smiled and pressed into his chest. "You're wearing m'pants." He laughed and I felt it vibrant under my cheek. He brought me to my bedroom and layed me gently on my bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. I closed my eyes as he lowered to his knees and stared at me intently. Just before I drifted in unconsciousness, I heard him whisper,

"Sweet dreams, Naruto." and press his lips to my forehead.

**NS: Wow. Uber short. ;;. Oh WELL! I was done with this chapter and I had to wrap it up! Y'know, I actually forgot to enter the part where Sasuke thinks its his part Naruto is sick b/c he pushed Naruto into a freezing cold lake the day before, but, yeah. That's what happened. This went way faster than I wanted, but psht. I'm working on a new project with my best buddy, Ten-Second-Tom. It shall be fantabulous. **


End file.
